The guitar pick, or what is otherwise also known as a
plectrum, is an important piece of equipment, the importance of which is often
disregarded and ignored, particularly in many beginner lessons out there. A
guitar pick is used to pluck the strings of a guitar, and these picks provide
the main point of contact between you (or your strumming hand) and the guitar.
The fact is that the kind of guitar pick that you use, and
how you use it, has an impact on both the tone and quality of the guitar, as
well as the ease of play and how comfortable you are playing the guitar.
There are many different types and kinds of picks out there
– each suited to particular types of genres and the sound/tone that one wants
to hear from the guitar. It is essential to know and understand how they
differ, how each pick functions and which pick is better suited for which
situation.
Properly Holding a Guitar Pick
First off, it is essential to know how to correctly hold a
guitar pick, and this should be one of the first things that you learn to do
when learning to play the guitar. If you’re able to come to grips (quite
literally) with this right in the beginning, it will prove to be hugely
beneficial in the long run. It is just as important as learning how to hold the
guitar properly; nail it right in the very beginning, and it’ll make your
learning experience much simpler and easier. This SplashPlay link does a pretty
good job in illustrating the correct
guitar-pick-holding technique.
Essentially, what you want to do is use your thumb and index
finger to hold the pick, and to do so firmly, while keeping the pointed end of
the pick Avoid holding the pick on the tip of your fingers (only a small
fraction of the pointy end of the pick should be visible), keep your wrist
loose and relaxed, and practice strumming as much as you can this way. The pick
might fly out of your hand while strumming, it might feel a tad weird and
awkward at first, and it may even take you a while to get accustomed to it.
With enough practice and the passage of time, however, it will start to feel
natural soon.
Different Types of Guitar Picks
1. Standard: Most commonly-shaped guitar picks. Triangular,
with a pointy edge on one end, and two smooth edges.
2. Teardrop/Jazz: The smooth-edges of these tend to be
narrower, and these are also more rigid and thick than standard ones; ideal for
picking. These usually help in producing a brighter tone as well.
3. Equilateral: Very triangular, and can be held any way one
wants since all 3 of its edges are pointy.
4. Sharkfin: I’ve personally never used these, but from what
I’ve seen, these can be used as multipurpose guitar picks. They feature a
multi-pointed side which can be used to make multiple contact per strum.
5. Plastic picks, thin vs heavy: Thin plastic picks provide
the least amount of resistance, and are hence best suited for strumming chords.
However they bend very easily, and are unsuitable for precision picking and
playing guitar solos. On the other hand, medium or heavy plastic picks are much
better suited for precise and quicker picking styles, for instance if you play
lead guitar with quick, single-note riffs or pick slides. These thicker picks
don’t bend and hence provide much more control. And thicker picks also produce
a louder volume as well. Picks are often color-coded so that their thickness
can be determined easily.
6. Nylon vs plastic picks: Nylon picks are more durable and
last longer. Unlike plastic picks which break easy, especially while playing.
7. Finger picks: Can be worn on your finger like a ring, and
are useful for picking individual strings and for fingerpicking.
There are a whole slew of different types of picks available
out there. Buy a few (they’re pretty cheap), use them and see what you’re more
comfortable with – which size and shape of pick is more comfortable for you to
hold and better when it comes to playing the guitar.
If you discover that some picks are better suited to
particular types of guitar-play, while others are better for playing certain
songs, switch between them. Keep plenty in stock, and switch between both
during gigs, jams and even live performances.
Brands and Price
Dunlop makes some of the best guitar picks out there. I’ve
been using the Tortex Standard for many, many years now, and I’ve never
disappointed! Almost every musician I know or have come across uses Dunlop
picks as well.
There are tons of Fender and Gibson picks available out
there as well. These too usually work pretty well, although once more, every
guitar player should experiment with a couple of guitar picks before settling
for one.
Musician’s
Friend has an outstanding selection of guitar picks on their online store –
dozens of guitar picks, many different brands to choose from, a large variety
of different types of picks, plus custom guitar-pick packs. They also have a
whole host of guitar-pick accessories available on the store. Highly recommend
that you have a look.
Guitar picks usually aren’t very expensive. For instance
Dunlop Tortex Standard as well as the Nylon ones retail for just under 4 bucks
at Musician’s Friend.
Guitar Picks Used by Famous Artists:
- Slash: Dunlop’s Tortex picks
- Eric Johnson: Dunlop Jazz II (nylon)
- Ritchie Blackmore: custom-made (self-carved) picks
This is a fantastic resource providing an insight into the
different kinds of guitar picks used by
many of the famous guitarists and artists out there.
Custom Made Guitar Picks
Guitar-picks can also be customized with text and graphics. A
lot of the famous artists out there use custom guitar tips, for instance Angus
Young uses picks which have ACDC’s famous logo on them. Artists usually end up
throwing quite a few of these out in the crowd, and they go on to become
collectibles, and are traded on eBay as well.
Just about anyone can have a custom guitar pick made for his
or herself. ClaytonCustom allows you to design custom picks on their website
and have them delivered straight to your doorstep – for as little as $39 for
100 picks!
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